Course Design 101:

8 simple Steps to Organize Your Content

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So,  you’re  ge*ng  ready  to  write  that  course.  You  know  the  one  that  
is  going  to  change  the  lives  of  people  around  the  world.  You’ve  got  
a  ton  of  great  informa<on  to  share.  But  you  have  no  idea  how  to  get  
started  or  stay  on  track.  DON’T  WORRY!  
 
This   guide   will   walk   you   through   8   simple   Steps   to   Organize   Your  
Content.   I’m   going   to   share   why   you   need   to   do   them   and   what  
needs   to   get   done.   Then   you’re   going   to   take   ac<on   and   do   some  
work.   And   when   you’re   done   you   will   have   the   founda<on   for   a  
fantas<c  first  lesson  plan  [insert  applause  here].  
 
These   steps   are   based   on   tried   and   true   processes   that   I’ve   used  
while   designing   courses   and   learning   events   for   major   companies  
around   the   globe.   And   I   didn’t   make   this   stuff   up,   though   I   wish   I  
had.   They   are   based   on   science.   If   you   want   more   informa<on   on  

Introduction
the   origin   of   this   process   Google   “Gagne’s   Nine   Events   of  
Instruc<on”.    

Introduction
 
Now,   let’s   get   started.   And   when   you’re   finished,   please   let   me  
know  what  you  think.  
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1. Get your learners attention

2. State Your Objectives

3. Consider what your learner already knows

4. Teach them something new

5. Tell a Story

6. Make them do something

7. Provide ongoing feedback

The 8 Steps!
Go  on.  Keep  reading.  Start  doing.     8.Offer additional resources
You’ve  got  this,  and  I  am  here  to  help!  
 ACTION:
Step #1:  
Jot down some ideas about how you might get your learner’s
attention. Remember to make it fun and relevant. Then list all of the
benefits of taking your course. What great things will happen?
Get your learners attention

THE  WHY:  
You’ve got to dazzle your learner from the start. Now is the time to
get her attention and draw her into your course. But beyond that,
you need her to “buy in” to what you are telling her. Once she is on
the hook she will be more likely to take action. And that’s what you
want, right? Action!

THE  WHAT:
Go ahead and tell a story or a joke or state some interesting facts
about your topic. You want to start with a bang so make sure it’s
captivating. And make sure it’s relevant.

This is also a great time to explain the WIFM. What’s In It For Me!
Tell her why it’s important for her to pay attention. It’s not a bad
idea to describe all of the glorious results that she’ll experience
once she put’s her new knowledge in action. This will reassure her www.teachcoachcreate.com
that she is in the right place and that you can help.
 ACTION:
Step #2:  
Write out the objectives of your course. What do you want your
learner to DO when they have completed the materials? What are
you going to teach them?
State Your Objectives

THE  WHY:  
It’s important that your learner understands what she is going to do
during your time together. Imagine sitting down for a presentation
and having no idea what the speaker is going to talk about. How
would you feel? After a while you might get anxious or start
wondering when the whole thing was going to end.

Emotions play a huge role in learning, especially fear and anxiety.

You must set expectations before you begin delivering information
to alleviate these emotions.

THE  WHAT:
This is pretty simple. You are going to review the agenda or restate
the objectives of the course. It doesn’t have to be fancy or
entertaining. Straight up delivery is ok here. Just make sure you get
it done. www.teachcoachcreate.com
 ACTION:
Step #3:  
Think about what your learner already knows about the subject.
What experiences do them bring to the table? Write them down. OR,
think about what questions you might ask in a pre-course survey to
Consider what your learner uncover this info.

already knows

THE  WHY:  
Your learner already knows something, right? By reminding her of
that you are showing her that she has something to contribute and
she can do this. She doesn’t have as far to go as she might think.
When you acknowledge that, you build confidence which promotes
learning and action!

There’s another reason you want to recap what she already knows.
It’s kind of like adding another brick to the great wall of knowledge.
She will attach her new knowledge to a bit of existing knowledge
making future recall a breeze.

THE  WHAT:
This is where you are going to restate what your learner already
knows or what you have already talked about earlier in your course.
Think about what led them to take the course in the first place. Or www.teachcoachcreate.com
better yet, ask them what they know in a pre-course survey.
 ACTION:
Step #4:  
Write down a list of the new information that will help your learner
take action and change her behavior. Then break it into logical
sections (in the biz we call them chunks).
Teach them something new

THE  WHY:  
So, you’ve reminded your learner about what she already knows.
And she’s totally bought in because you’ve told her the WIFM
(What’s In It For Me). Now   It’s   <me   to   fill   her   head   with   all   of   your  
yummy  goodness.  This  is  where  the  real  fun  begins.

THE  WHAT:
It’s time to share your knowledge. When you do this you want to be
as clear as possible. Don’t overwhelm her with information. Make
sure you are presenting new concepts in small pieces that are
easily digestible and in a logical format. If it’s not something she
needs to know to change her behavior, don’t include it!

Just a note: You will not present ALL of your information at once.
Present a small piece, move to step #5 then #6. Rinse and repeat.
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 ACTION:
Step #5:  
For each chunk of information you will be sharing, write down either
a story or example to support it. Make sure they are clear, concise
and relevant.
Tell a story

THE  WHY:  
If you just spit out a bunch of processes and facts your class would
be pretty boring, right? Including imagery, stories and examples will
help bring your information to life. This   will   make   the   informa<on   more  
memorable.  Your learner will likely be able to relate it to her own life
and begin imaging a new life. And with that motivation comes action
and that is what we are really looking for.

THE  WHAT:
As you provide new information make sure you are including
examples, imagery and scenarios that support a shift in behavior.
Relate each chunk of information to a realistic story. Either true or
completely fictional, it doesn’t matter as long as it is relevant and
memorable .

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 ACTION:
Step #6:  
Write out all things that your learner will need to DO to reach her
goal. Then go back to step #4 and make sure you’ve included
information to support each activity.
Make them do something

THE  WHY:  
If you want your learner to really change her behavior, you need to
show her what she needs to DO and give her an opportunity to
practice in a safe environment. This will help build her skills and
boost her confidence.

THE  WHAT:
Ok, now it’s time to think about the activities that will bring your
learner closer to achieving her goal. Be sure to clearly explain
everything she needs to do to get the job done.

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 ACTION:
Step #5:  
What are some ways that you can communicate with your learner
while the course is going on? How will you engage with them after
your course has ended?
Provide ongoing feedback

THE  WHY:  
Feedback is a crucial part of the learning process. Your learner
needs to know if she is on the right track. The last thing you want is
for her to be doing it all wrong all along. You need to have a plan for
checking in and following up.

THE  WHAT:
This could get a little tricky. I recognize that you might be creating
an evergreen, or hands-off course that runs without you. And some
day you will have thousands of learners and WOW that would be
way too much email for anyone to handle. But I still want you to
think of creative ways that you can communicate with your learner
during the course and after it’s over.

The work doesn’t end when the course does. You need to stay
engaged if you really want to empower your learners to make a www.teachcoachcreate.com
positive change.
 ACTION:
Step #8:  
Take a look at the activities you have created for this course. Now
right down any additional resources you can think of that might help
your learner perform on her own. Where can she go for additional
Offer additional tools help?

And resources

THE  WHY:  
You don’t want to leave your learner high and dry. She might
need help while she is working through the process. In the biz,
we call this performance support. And it’s your responsibility to
make sure she can easily access this information.

THE  WHAT:
There are a lot of ways that you can support your learner in the
future. Think about any and all of the resources you can
provide her with to make sure that she is successful. These
could be job aids, cheat sheets, links to blog posts, or even
additional offerings that dive deeper into a specific topic.

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www.teachcoachcreate.com

1. Get your learners attention

2. State Your Objectives

3. Consider what your learner already knows

Now What? 4. Teach them something new

There   you   have   it.   The   8   simple   Steps   to   Organize   Your   Course  
Content.  So,  now  what?   5. Tell a Story
 
1. Go  back  and  review  your  answers  to  these  ques<ons.    
2. Remove  the  fluff:  
§  Cross  out  any  thoughts  or  ideas  that  don’t  have  anything  to  
6. Make them do something
do  with  the  course  objec<ves.  
§  Cross   out   any   thoughts   or   ideas   that   don’t   support   the  
learner’s  ability  to  take  ACTION.  
§  Reword  anything  that  sounds  confusing  to  you.  
7. Provide ongoing feedback
3. Complete  the  worksheet  on  the  next  page  based  on  your  revised  
notes.  
4. Do  a  happy  Dance!  You’ve  wri\en  your  first  lesson  plan!   8.Offer additional resources
 
Your Lesson Plan
1. How will I get My learner’s attention? 5. What are some relevant examples, images, or stories?

2. What are your objectives? 6. What activities can they do?

3. What does your learner already know? 7. How will they receive feedback?

4. What new things am I going to teach them? 8. What additional tools or resources are available?

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ABOUT  ME:  
I’ve   been   in   your   shoes.   A   budding   entrepreneur   crea<ng   my   first   course   wondering   if   it   would   be   successful.   I   totally   understand  
what   you   are   going   through.   You’ve   got   a   ton   of   informa<on   that   you   want   to   share   with   the   world.   And   you   know   with   every   bit  
of  your  being  that  you  are  meant  to  do  great  things  and  help  people  achieve  their  dreams.  The  only  problem  is,  you  have  no  idea  
where  to  start.  You  are  worried  that  your  course  is  going  to  be  disorganized  and  overly  complicated.  And  you’re  not  sure  what  
informa<on  to  include  and  what  informa<on  to  ditch.  
 
I’m  Dayna  House  and  I  am  here  to  help!  You  see,  I’m  an  Instruc<onal  Designer  with  over  10  years  of  experience  helping  Fortune  
500   companies   create   performance   driven   training   solu<ons.   But   a   couple   years   ago   life   changed   and   now   my   focus   is   helping  
people  like  you  organize  your  course  content  so  it  is  clear,  concise  and  most  importantly  ac.onable.    
 
I’m  so  grateful  that  you’ve  taken  the  <me  to  work  through  The  8  simple  Steps  to  Organize  Your  Content.  I’d  love  to  hear  what  you  think  about  it.  If  you  feel  
like  it  (please,  please,  please)  send  me  a  quick  note:  dayna@teachcoachcreate.com.  And  be  on  the  lookout  for  my  new  website  where  you  will  find  super  
useful  informa<on  about  organizing  that  course.  

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